Sacking foe



Patented ug. 2S, i923,

SAMUEL M. GREENDGE, EALLAS, TEXAS.

PACKING EGE PSTOIS AND THE LIKE.

Application filed May 6,

rlhis invention relates to packing structures for pistons o'l' pumps or engines, as ell as for rod paekings Where the rodshave either' a reciprocating or a rotary movement.

An object oLt the invention is to provide a packing` which Will have a constant and regular Contact with the part of the mechanism against which it operates and also be maintained in compact form thereby, ensuring a lealqbroot` engagement between the parts.

Another object ot Vthe invention resides in a construction by Which the packing may be automtaically fed forward so as to always maintain a tight tit between the operating parts irrespective ot Wear on these parts, or on the'packing from any of the Well known causes.

Other objects and advanta the invention Will be apparent from the followi description When taken in connection v. ,th the accompanying drawings; in Twhich Figure l is a longitudinal section tl'irough an apparatus in which the present invention is incorporated.

Figure 2 is a `detail of one of the elements oi the packing showing a plan and tivo opposite end views thereof; and,

Figure 3 isv a longitudinal section through a inodilied form of the invention.

Referring to the drawings in greater detail the numeral l indicates the pump cylinder or the like in which is mounted for reciprocation the piston rod 2 illustrated in the present instance as hollow although the invention is of course, equally Well adapted to a solid piston rod.

The packing for the piston is formed oi" a plurality of layers oi material designated generally by the numeral 3 t l) but is shown in detail in Figure 2. rhis I Jacking is formed from sheet material preferably sheet metal, although liber, asbestos, rubber, leather or oth er ilexible material v-.fit i or Without layers of metal may be employed. One o't the .sheets forming a layer oll the packing is indicated by numeral e and is slitted to provide a plurality oi elongated fingers 5 and is also notched to provide a plurality ot tapereex tongues G.

The piston rod 2 may be provided with an annular recess 7 for the reception of the tongues 6 When the layers l are stacked together and applied to the rod in cylindrical 1926. Serial No. 37,2 3.

form. rl'hese tongues 6 are jannned into the recess 'Z' by means of a nut 8 provided with tapered threads as clearly .shown in Figure l and serves to anchor the packing to the rod as Well as to prevent the escape oi" 'fluids thereby; the elongated lingers 5, oi course. permitting the packing' to b-e flexed in the manner shown in Fig. Yl. It Will be understood however, that the invention is not liniited to the specific manner ot attaching the packing to the rod.

Disposed between the inner Wall of the cylinder l L.nd the nut tl is a cylindrical sleeve S provided with an inwardly extending en-. largement l0, integral or other y'ise, at a point below nut 8 and biased toward the nut by a coil spring ll. This spring has one end in engagement with the enlargement l0 and its opposite end is supported on the nuts 12-13 threaded to the rod From an inspection of Figure l it will be al parent that the sleeve 9 'functions to support and protect the niain body of the packing 3 as Well as to compact the operative end thereof and to guide this end against tle cylinder wall as hereinafter described. y

iibove the packing 3 the rod 2 is Jr'ormed with shoulder ll, integral or otherwise, which ifornis a .seat for a spring 15. ythe opposite end oi this spring engages a ring lil having` its end next the springiquare to act as a seat for the spring, and its end next the packing 3 Wedge-shaped :tor engagement with the operative end oi the packing El. The contour or" the wedge-shaped portion of the ring is such as to direct the operative end of the packing, i. e., the lingers against the Wall of the cylinder and against thelend of the sleeve S which compacts the operating end of the pechino'. it should be here noted that the spring' l5 isstronger than the spring il and that therei" as the exposed end et the p cking or the Wall of the cylinde wears away the packing' Yvill be fed outwardly through the space bel tive-en the member 16 and the edge or' the sleeve 9. rlhis action is due to the fact tha the siperior pressure o'l spring' 15 will force the sleeve 9 dora'im'ardlv automatically as the parts Wear away and thereby causes the flexed end of the packing to press against the cylinder Wall. Obviously, therefore, the packing will be continuously and lautomati cally fed forward against the cylinder Wall until the operative portion oi the packing reaches thenut 8, or until the spring' 15 is extended to such point that its pressure is equal to that of spring 1l. Furthermore, the weaker spring ll will serve to maintain the end of the packing compacted atall times.

The invention ust described is oi' course reatily adaptable to pumps of many types, engine pistons and also as a stutling box for piston rods oi both the reciprocating and rotary type. An illustration of a stuffing box embodying the novel `features of the invention is depicted in Figure 3.

In this latter i'orm ot the invention the rnin'ieral 2O indicates the cylinder or pump head through which extends the rod 2l. The head 2() is oit course, pocketed as designated by numeral 22 lor the reception of the packing element 23 which is composed ot a plurality ot slitted layers oit material such as shown in Figure 2 except that the tongues 6 are unnecessary inasmuch as the end of the packing is not seated in groove or recess as in the ifr'orm iirst described. In this present form the layers of packing niaterial may be soldered or otherwise secured together at their lower ends as indicated by numeral 24.

A cap 25 is detachably connected to the head 2O by means ot threads or the like, and this cap forms a seat :for the coil spring 26 which serves to 'leed the packing 23 inwardly. Slidably mounted in the cap 25 and extending between the rod 2l and the major part of the packing 23 is a sleeve 27 similar to sleeve 9 ot Figure l. yThis sleeve 27 is provided with a flange 28 which Aforms a seat for spring 29 which has its other end in engagement with the gland nut 30. As in the form oin the in` vention earlier described the spring 26 is more powerful than the spring 29 and therefore functions to force the packing 23 forwardly against the rod21 despite the action of spring 29 upon the sleeve 2T which serves not only to protect the inner part of the packing from the rod 21 but also to guide and compact the packing at the point at which it contacts the rod. In this 'lform o't' the invention also it will be apparent that the packing is continuously and automatically 'ted against the rod as either or both rod and packing wear away.

From the foregoing description taken in connection with the accompanying drawing it will be apparent Vthat I have devised a novel type of packing and feeding means therefor by which a tight lit may always be maintained irrespective ot wear between the moving parts of the mechanism with which the packing is incorporated or of wear upon the packing itself, irrespective ot whether the wear is due to abrasive materials or acids in the liquids, or to gases passing through the pump or to other causes.

In accordance with the patent statutes I have described what I now believe to be the best embodiment of the invention, but I do not wish to be understood thereby as limiting myself or the scope of the invention, as many changes and modifications may be made without departing from the spirit of the invention; all such I aim to include in the scope of the appended claims.

IVhat I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. In combination with pistons for motors, pumps and the like, a substantially cylindrical packing element having one of its circular edges in contact with a relatively moving part or' the mechanism, a spring for pressing the edge of the packing against the moving part, a sleeve interposed between a major portion of the said packing and the moving part of theI mechanism, and a weaker spring pressing an edge of said sleeve against the edge of the packing.

2. In a mechanism having relatively movable parts, a substantially cylindrical packing element.` means for anchoring one end of said element to one of said parts, and means including oppositely disposed springs of unequal strength for feeding and guiding the other end of said element against the other of said parts.

3. In a. mechanism having relatively movable parts. an elongated packing element of substantially cylindrical form, means for securing one end of said packing to one of said parts, a spring-pressed sleeve encircling and in engagement with the outer wall of said packing element and serving as a support and guide for the opposite end or' said element, a wedge-shaped member for engagement with the unsecured end of said packing element and a portion of the inner wall thereof, and a spring of greater strength than said firstmentioned spring for forcing said wedgeshaped member towards said sleeve.

4. In a mechanism having relatively movable parts, an elongated packing element of substantially cylindrical 'form having one end secured to one oit said elements and its other end turned outwardly into engagement with the other element, a spring-pressed sleeve encircling and in engagement with the outer wall of said packing element and serving as a support and guide for the unsecured end oi the packing element, a wedge-shaped member for engagement with the out-turned end of said packing element, and a spring or" greater strength than said first-mentioned spring for forcing said wedge-shaped member towards said sleeve.

SAMUEL M. G-REENIDGIC. 

